Rating: Summary: Budget Surround Sound Review: I finally got fed up with the plastic case of my subwoofer vibrating with the bass. Plus the volume controls and headphone jack was on the subwoofer which sits on the floor. It was just a cheap 2.1 system I purchased 5 years ago or so.First, I use a laptop as my primary computer. Like many laptops, it does not have surround sound output, so I looked for a cheap USB solution. I settled on the "Starlogic 5.1 Audio Theater" which costs about half as much as the Audigy2. Then I ordered these speakers from Amazon.com based on the reviews. The wires were wrapped up in plastic along with each individual speaker. I was really afraid I was gonna snip the wrong thing with my scissors, but I didn't see any other way to free them. There is only one page devoted to setting up the speakers in the little booklet that comes in the box. You really don't need it as all the cables are color-coded. There is a thick stiff black cable (like a monitor cable) that comes off the center speaker down to the subwoofer. The only place I could find for the center speaker was on top of my monitor, and I finally had to tape the speaker legs to the top of the monitor because the heavy cable kept pulling it off. As for the audio, I'm not a guru, but I notice that these speakers don't sound as good as my Koss C220 Home Theater System. The Koss is a budget system as well, and appears to have a tweeter and woofer in each of the 5 speakers. The Z-640 appears to only have one or the other. After a couple of weeks of owning them, I find I am still tweaking the fader and center controls depending on what I am listening to. The speakers have plenty of volume and the subwoofer produces plenty of bass to suit me. (The subwoofer is only set to about 1/3 of its volume out of courtesy for my neighbors.) My dance music sounds muffled to my ears...maybe too much bass in the surround speakers...or maybe this is the lack in the mid-range that other reviewers have commented about. It could just be my USB sound card. Movies sound good, and I can definitely discern the surround sound effects. Overall, I've heard better, but I've heard much, much worse. There is nothing like a subwoofer case constantly vibrating to get on your nerves, and the Z-640 took care of that problem. Based on other reviews and my budget, I think I've got the best bang for my money, so I'll stick with them.
Rating: Summary: Decent system Review: These speakers are pretty good if you want to just see if a 5.1 system is right for you. With these speakers its hard to tell a DVD audio disc from a Conventional CD. Some speakers were just not designed to handle sample rates over 44khz so not much of a difference will be heard. Another thing I want to point out is that the bass is pretty good and solid sounding and does carry a good distance but certain frequencies is just too much for the poor amp and 4" Driver hidden in the back of the subwoofer turned the opposite direction of the "radiator" that appears to be a cone. Another thing is just after 2 months of listening (At normal levels most of the time) The subwoofer developed a vibration noise inside the woofer like something inside the woofer may have became loose. This may be because the ones I bought were recertified but I doubt it. Recertified are only items retured to a store (such as walmart) and reinspected by the manufacturer. If you try to pump too much bass into the subwoofer you will hear a flapping sound because the "radiator" is being pushed out too far. If you cant afford nothing else then go with these. Otherwise I would go with something with the THX certification if you want clarity. Don't get discouraged from buying these just because what me and other audiophiles might say about it. Go with your instincts, you may be satisfied with your purchase.
Rating: Summary: Z-640's are great! Review: I was a little hesatant about buying these because of their small size, but don't worry they ROCK! And the price can't be beat either. The sound quality is excellent and hook up couldn't be easier. The rear speakers could have a little longer wires, but not a big deal to get extensions. As others have said the vivid BLUE power light is a little distracting, but a piece of black tape fixes that. I am thinking about getting another set for another computer, and see the price has dropped a couple of bucks in the past week. A great bang for the buck!!
Rating: Summary: Mediocre sound and poor quality control Review: I got one set of these and had to return them - the center channel stopped working. The next set was dead on arrival. So much for good quality control (something I've heard about other Logitech speakers). The third (and final) set works fine, but I've found these speakers are much better for games than music (and I need something that does both pretty well). They are loud but don't sound very natural, and after a while (listening to music) I get so I just can't stand them anymore. The Creative 5200 looks like it's at a good price here (with a rebate coupon), or maybe the Altec 251's or the new Creative T5400's (though both are at $99, which is too much) ... I can't bring myself to buy the Logitech X-620's (they are way too much like mushrooms).
Rating: Summary: Awesome Speakers for the price!! Review: I purchased this Surround Sound System for my Home Computer and am presently using it with both my Notebook and iRiver CD Player. It is extremely convenient to set up and can be easily adjusted to suit a variety of audio devices.
The audio output is astounding; am impressed with the surround sound abilities, and have enjoyed playing a number of games with this set of speakers.
A point worth noting is that for the Surround Sound to work you'll need a 6 channel Sound Card. Logitech provides you with three different connectors for 2 channel, 4 channel and 6 channel sound cards. For most Walkmans and CD Players you'll be able to use only the 2 channel sound i.e. the center speaker, left and right front speakers and the sub-woofer. A thoughtful feature added by Logitech is the brackets that are included with the front, back and center speakers and you can easily screw the speakers. Also, the Fader knob on the center speaker is useful particularly while listening to music from the 70's - 80's.
Overall, this Surround Sound system is a good buy and Logitech has done a wonderful job in bringing affordable Surround Sound sets to Home Computers.
Rating: Summary: Buy it! Review: This is actually the first set of speakers I bought and I am happy I did. The only problem I had with these is the fact that in order to have 5.1-channel surround sound you need a 4- or 6-channel sound card which I didn't, but I am the only one to blame for not reading the specs. Setup is very easy and I am very pleased with the sound which is loud and clear enough for my room so I would wonder why someone would pay more for a set of computer speakers.
Rating: Summary: Good Entry level! Review: Great speakers for a basic system. They sound good, bass is solid. If you are a gamer, serious gamer, I would look at the Z-680's. The price is a big difference but so is the sound and performance. Otherwise.. This is a GOOD VALUE! Just remember you get what you pay for.
Rating: Summary: GREAT SPEAKERS Review: These speakers are great!!! They have a ton of bass. I play games and movies on my computer and it makes everything sound great. The hook up is easy and they give you plenty of cord length to space your speakers out. I would recommend these speakers to anyone looking for good speakers at a great price!!
Rating: Summary: PHENOMINAL!!!! Review: I am a serious audiophile, and I can legitamatly say that there is not a finer set of speakers available for tenfold the price. I was in the market, as it was, looking for some very high quality speakers. I have tested Bose, JLB, Panasonic, Kenwood, et cetera, and I can proudly say that this speaker system delivers more punch than Mike Tyson (on a good, non biting, day. The bass is amazing, truly a must see device. The periferals are astounding. I definitly recommend this set. Buy and bid with confidence, knowing that the system you will get is beyond reality in its quality.
Rating: Summary: Great Price for this Device Review: For a small room it really can shake the floor. Great for small rooms and DVDs are very enjoyable with this surround system. Can't get hardly a better system unless you pay over $150 for very powerful systems and good quality. If you want good sound and can't afford the big price tag, this is great for just about everything. Easy color coded hook up. Can't get any better for the price but I think it has some minor flaws with sound quality but other than that very impressive.
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